Innocent blood
by Mislav
Summary: This is how I imagine season ten premiere. Registered sex offender is found shoot to death in Central Park, sixteen year old girl is missing, petty criminal is found bludgeoned to death in his apartment and go-go dancer is found stabbed to death in basement of nightclub in which she was working. Can team deal with four cases in the same time? Are cases conected?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Yup... Four cases. Yes, I probably _did _throw caution to the wind in this one. But, since I see this as season ten premiere, cases need to be original and complicated for a great start, right? Not all cases will be revealed in this chapter. I am trying to make it seem like an actual episode.**

**I don't owe ****any of CSI NY characters and I am not making any money from writing this. **

**Warning: rated T for reason. There will be some sensitive issues in this fic, such as sex offenders and careless drivers causing car accidents etc. but nothing graphic. Don't like it, don't read it.**

**Sorry if some descriptions are too long, but I really needed to explain some things.**

**Please forgive any minor grammar or spelling mistakes, English is not my native language. I tried to keep this gramatically correct, but you never know**

**Part of this is inspirated by real-life event, but all other is completly fictional.**

**Read and enjoy :)**

One of many running paths in Central park, warm, sunny weather, 9 am. Boy and girl are jogging down the pat. They are both in mid teens, Caucasian, dressed in usual jogging outfits and black jogging bags tied around their waists, average height and weight. with short brown hair and brown eyes.

While they are runing near a big ditch, boy suddenly stops. Girl notices that and she stops too and turns toward him.

"Are you OK?", she asks, worried.

"Yes-he says", breathing heavily. "I just need a break."

He takes bottle of water from his joging bag, opens it and tooks a sip of water while looking in the ditch. Suddenly, he notices something in ditch, something that shocks him. He spits out the water, drops the bottle, screams and jumps few feet away, his eyes widened in shock still focused on the ditch

"What happened?", girl asks, runs towards him and looks in the ditch too. She screams, also.

On the ground, inside the ditch, body of young Caucasian man is lying in face-up position. He is obviously dead for some time and almost completely naked: only thing he has on are white boxer shorts and black socks. He has big, bloody gunshot wound on left side of his chest.

#

Team members are on the crime scene. Don is standing short distance away from the ditch, on runing path, interrogating teenagers who found the body. He holds pen and notebook in his hands, and he ocasionaly writes notes during interogation. Sid is standing near body, studying it. Sheldon is standing in ditch, few feets away from Sid, his forensic briefcase lying opened on the ground near by. He is puting forensic marks on the ground near shoe prints found there, photographs them, makes the impretions, puts impretions in plastic evidence bag once they harden, seals them and puts them in his forensic briefcase. Mac and Jo are walking down the par, towards Sid. All team members have white latex gloves over hands and white plastic shoe covers over shoe bottoms.

"Male, Caucasian, mid to late 20's", short black hair, black eyes, Sid says when Mac and Jo aproach him. "I can't tell cause of death for sure before the autopsy, but I think it's pretty obvious right away: single gunshot wound to the heart. By size of the wound, I would say .45 calibar. There is no blood, shell casing or signs of strugle around. I don't think he was killed here."

"Any idea who is he?", Mac asks.

"No. No IDs. So far, he is Jon Doe."

"How long is he dead?"

"I would say, for quite a while. Between seventeen and nineteen hours. So, yesterday between four and six pm."

"He is almost completely naked", Jo notices.

"Yes", Sid confirms. "But there are blue fibers in gunshot wound, so he probably wore some sort clothing when he was shoot. Maybe killer removed it to avoid leaving evidence."

"But, you know what they say", Mac says. "The harder you try to cover up the evidence..."

"More of them you will left", Jo finishes.

~OPENING ROLE AND CREDITS~

Don walks toward Mac and Jo.

"Those kids found the body", he says, gesturing towards the couple standing on the path five feets away. "Cheryl Davenport and Tim Grissom, both seventeen. No criminal record, just some minor traffic offences. They were jogging. They said there were in cinema together yesterday between four and six pm. I will check, but I really think they have nothing to do with this. They were both tested for GSR. Negative."

Sheldon walks toward them, holding his now closed forensic brief case in his hand.

"I found several shoe prints in the ground, leading towards the body and then away from it, followed by scuff marks", he informs them. "Some shoe prints were pretty deep, but only those leading toward the body, like somebody was draging something heavy in the ditch."

Lindsay and Jamie walk toward them, holding their brief cases in their hands.

"We searched area in two mile radius", Lindsay says. "In trash can half mile away, we found remains of burned clothing and cellphone."

"We also found lots of cigaret butts, bear cans, shoe prints, tyre tracks...", Jamie says."But no weapon. We'll take it in lab for analysis, we'll see will it be of any use."

Mac and Jo nod.

#

Morgue. Body from the park is lying in position face up on autopsy table. Sid is standing near by, wearing his lab coat, eyeglasses, and white latex gloves. With one hand, he is holding metal plate with fingerprint chart and fingerprinting kit Pn it, and with other hand, he is fingerprinting the victim.

#

Fingerprint chart is faxed in laboratory to Sheldon Hawkes, whi is wearing white latex gloves and white lab coat. He scans fingerprints in computer and runs them through AFIS. Match is soonly found. Fingerprints belong to twenty-eight year old Malcolm Lake.

#

Jo and Mac are talking with victim's wife in their suburbian house, in living room. She is in early 30's, Caucasian, with long black hair and black eyes. She is wearing red T-shirt, white shorts and blue slippers. Her eyes are widened and red and she is squzing wet paper tischu in her right hand. She is siting in a red armchair, Mac and Jo are siting on black leather couch opposite to armchair, holding notebbooks and pens in their hands. Coffee table is between the armchair and the couch.

"He works... he worked as clerk in this bank just down the block", Anabel says. "He supposed to come home from work tomorow at four pm. I was olready at home. When he didn't come home till five pm, I tried to call him. He didn't answer. Then I called his workplace. They said he left the work alone at three pm, as usual. I called his parents. They said they didn't see him since last month and didn't heard him for two days. I called police, to check was somebody with his I.D.s or somebody matching his description arrested or found injured or dead. Nothing. I called every hospital in wider eria. Nothing. Then I drove to his workplace, I was driving ten miles around tryng to found him or his car. Nothing. Finaly, at seven pm, I called police and reported him missing."

"Did your husband had any enemies?"

"No, as far as I know..."

"Ms. Lake...", Jo starts while slowly leaning closer to her. "We know that your husband is registrated sex offender."

Anabel looks at her.

"He was eighteen years old", she says. "Girl was fifteen. They were dating for eight months before they slept together. They both agreed. When her parents found condom and condom wrapper in trash can in her room and confronted her, she confessed sleeping with him, but she also said it was consensual. Still, they reported him to a police. He was arrested. Forensics found his DNA in condom and her DNA on it, his fingerprints on condom wrapper and in her room, his DNA on her bra and panties... Mother of that girl was friend of woman who runs that... what's a polite word? Organization which is promoting idea of minor sex offenders being threated on sane way like dangerous sexual predators. He was trailed as an adult, found guilty for 1st degree statutory rape and sentenced on six years in prison. She immediately broke up with him. He was paroled after serving three years. I was his parole officer. That's how we met. He was twenty-one, I was twenty-five, but we somehow... clicked... you know? I quit my job to be with him. Now, I work as florist in local flower shop. I always liked flowers. We are... were married for three years. We celebrated our third anniversary two weeks ago. We have kids... two one year-old girls, twins, non-identical. Elizabeth and Sharona. I don't want people to remember him on way you do."

"We know that neighbours can be pretty... nasty in this sort of situations", Mac says.

"They were", Anabel confirms. "At first. But I think... I want to think that they accepted us by now."

"Was anybody particularly unpleasant or violent?", Jo asks.

"Theodore Jenkins. Week after we moved in, he threw a rock in our window. Malcolm saw him runing away and reported him. They found his fingerprints on rock and linked rock with other rock found in his yard. He only received probation. Month later, somebody beat up and robbed Malcolm. They caught a guy, who claimed Theodore paid him to do that, but they couldn't proove it. He wasn't bothering us ever since, but week ago, his daughter, sixteen year old Melany, went missing. They still didn't found her. Somebody reporter seeing Malcolm with her near her car on day of her dissaperance. That was true, but he was only helping her to change a flat tyre! Malcolm said he thinks he saw Theodore near his workplace yesterday, but he wasn't sure. But I'm sure Theodore didn't do that. Despite everything he done, he isn't the murderer."

"Do you know what was he wearing yesterday morning before going to work?", Mac asks.

"Uhm... usual working clothes... Blue shirt, black pants, black shoes, black socks, white underwear."

"What car was he driving?", Jo asks.

"Uhm... Black SUV. Licence plates are... uhm... SST35G."

"Where were you yesterday between four and six pm?"

"At home, trying to locate him. At five thirty pm, I started driving around, looking for him."

Jo takes plastic bag from right pocket of her pants and puts it on coffe table. Bag is containing five pair of white latex gloves, five white sterile gauzes, another, smaller plastic bag, and small plastic parafrine bottle. She puts on the gloves, puts other bag on coffee table, and takes one gauze.

"Show me your hands", she says to Anabel. She does so. Jo swabs both sides of her palms and face with gauze, than takes parafrine bottle and drips some of it on gauze. Nothing happens. GSR test is negative.

"Is this OK?", Anabel asks, confused.

"Yes, it is", Jo smiles while tooking off gloves and puting them and gauze in other, smaller plastic bag. "We are also going to need his personal computer."

Anabel nods her head.

#

Mac and Jo are talking with Theodore Jenkins in yard of his suburbian home. Theodore is in late 40's, Caucasian, about 5'8 tall, slightly overweight, with short black hair and black eyes. He is wearing white T-shirt, blue shorts and white sneakers.

"I'm glad that he is dead", Theodore says. "I won't denie it. And again... now when he is dead... He will never reveal what he did with her. But I didn't kill him."

"Why are you so convinced that he is involved with her disappearance?", Mac asks him.

"He is the only registered sex offender in twenty mile radius, he lives two miles away from us and he was seen with her on day of her dissaperance. What else do you need?"

"Where were you yesterday between 4 and 6 pm?", Mac asks him, harshly.

"At home. My son was at his girlfriend, studyng. My wife was also at home, sleeping. She was so nervous that she started taking Xanax."

"Do you have a gun?", Jo asks him.

"Yes. .45 calibar. For ten years, perfectly legal."

"We will need it for examination", Jo says.-Also, show us your hands.

Theodore does so. She takes that same plastic bag from right pocket of his pants and puts it on small garden table near by. He opens it, puts on new pair of gloves, tooked another sterile gauze, and uses it to swab both sides of his palms and his face. Then she takes parafrine bottle from bag and drips some on gauze. Nothing happens. GSR test is negative.

"Will you go now, please?", Theodore asks him.

"We will, after you give us your gun", Mac says. "But you don't go too far."

#

Don and Lindsay are on other crime scene, in small apartment, walking toward the body. Sid is already near body, studying it. They all wear white latex gloves over hands and white plastic shoe covers over shoe bottoms. Don also holds notebook and pen in his hand. Victim is lying near by, face down, on the floor, near kitchen table. He is male, Caucasian, in early 30's, about 5'10 tall, slightly overweight, with long brown hair and brown eyes. He is wearing white T-shirt, black shorts and brown sleepers. He is bleeding from back of his head, and near his body is broken bloody beer bottle.

"John Gray, 32", Don explains. "He lived in this rented apartment for last five years. Neighbours heard noise and called a police. And here it is."

"Any friends, family, relationship, enemies?"

"Not somebody whom they or owner of apartment know off."

"He isn't dead for a long", Sid says. "One hour at most. I need to perform autopsy to be sure, but I will say that cause of death is violent blow to the back of a head."

"It seems like impulsive murder", Don concludes.

"There are no signs of breaking and intury", Lindsay notices. "He either let killer in or he or she had the key."

"That doesn't mean robbery wasn't a motive", Sid says. "There is an imprint of watch on his right wrist, imprint of a ring on his fourth right finger and scratch marks on back of his neck, but there is no watch, ring or chain. And his wallet is on the floor near by, obviously without money or credit cards in it."

Lindsay looks around and notices something on door knob on front doors. She walks toward it and studies it closely.

"There's a bloody fingerprint on the door knob", she says. She takes forensic tag from it, puts it near bloody fingerprint on door knob, photographs it, puts tag on the floor, picks up swab from forensic briefcase, puts it in plastic container talent from her forensic briefcase, picks up market from right pocket of her pants, takes it's cap off with her teeth, writes something on sticker taped on container with market, and puts container and cap in her briefcase and market on the floor. She notices cigaret butt on the floor in front of front doors, picks up tweezer and evidence bag from forensic briefcase, picks up the cigaret butt with a tweezer, puts it in evidence bag, puts tweezer back, seals the bag, writes something down on the evidence bag with the marker, and puts the bag im forensic briefcase. She picks up package of red fingerprint powder and fingerprint brush from her forendic briefcase and powders both side of the door knobs and a doorbell for fingerprints, but founds nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

Mac and Jo are standing at the counter in local bar, talking with victim's friend, Jon Constanza. Jon is in late 20's, about 5'10 tall, average weight, with short blonde hair and blue eyes. He is wearing brown T-shirt and black pants.

"He... he never quite talked with me about his... problems", Jon says. "I guess he didn't want me to worry. I don't know did he have any problems or enemies. I mean... I still can't believe that he is dead!"

"What's the last time you saw him?", Mac asks.

"Two days ago. He stoped for a drink aftet work. He seemed fine."

"Where were you yesterday between four and six pm?", Jo asks him.

"I was working here from one pm till nine pm. Then I drove back home."

"Can anybody confirm this?", Mac asks.

"Well... I don't remember all the guests and this security cameras are fake... I'll look up for my card", he says, walks away, and soonly returns with his employee card and puts it on the counter, in front of Mac and Jo. They look at it and see that he is telling the truth.

"Thank you for your time", Mac says.-Here is our card, so you can call us if you remember something", he says, takes card from right pocket of his pants, and puts it on the counter in front of Jon.

"Sure", Jon nods.

#

Mac and Jo walk in the morgue towards the autopsy table where Malcolm's body is. They wear white latex gloves over their palms. Sid is standing near by, still wearing white latex gloves, his lab coat, and his eyeglasses. He is holding evidence bag with swab inside it in his hand. Two other evidence bags are on small grey metak desk near the table: one with bloody bullet inside, other with bloody blue fibers inside.

"The cause of death is single gunshot wound to the heart", Sid explains. "I found some brown residue in his nose, like dirt or a sand. I found same traces in his hair. I tooked a sample of it", he says, handling evidence bag to Mac, who takes it.

"We'll give that to Lindsay", he says. "Did you found the bullet?"

"Yes. It's right here", he says, handling evidence bag to Jo, who tooks it.-I also tooked samples of blue fibers from the wound.

Jo nods.

#

Danny is in the crime lab, siting at his desk, wearing white latex gloves and white lab coat. Theodore Jenkin's gun is on his desk, and also evidence bag with bloody bullet, ear protection and comparison macroscope. He takes bullet from evidence bag, puts it under macroscope and briefly examines it. He takes Theodore Jenkin's gun, and briefly examines gun barrel. It looks pretty clean. Then he puts ear protection over his ears, stands up, walks in front of the bucket full of water. He walks few feets away from it, checks is the gun loaded, points it towards the bucket, and fires one shot in it. Then he puts gun back on his desk, takes off ear protection amd puts it on the desk too, tooks bullet from the bucket, sits back at his desk, puts it under macroscope, and compares it with bullet found in victim. Then he scans abrasions on the bullet in computer and starts running them through IBIS. They don't mach. Mac walks in Danny's office, towards Danny's desk.

"Hi, Mac", Danny says, noticing him. "I examined the bullet. It's .45 calibar. I examined barrel of Theodore Jenkin's gun. Gun was last time fired about three years ago. Just in case, I compared bullet fired from Theodore's gun with bullet found in victim. They don't much. I'm runing bullet through IBIS right now."

Soonly, computer beeps. Match is found.

"So...", Danny says, reading informations from computer screen. "Gun was used in murder commited nine years ago. Victim was twenty-two year old Melissa Morales, found shoot to death in her apartment. Case is still unsolved and they never found the gun."

"Any suspects?"

"Yes, her ex-boyfriend, Neil Johnston, twenty-eight at the time. She broke up with him four months prior to the murder. He didn't take it very well. Due to lack of evidence, he was never charged for her murder, but he was sentenced on two years in prison for marijuana posession. He did his time in same prison Malcolm did. Now he works as janitor in local High school. He lives ten miles away from Malcolm's house."

#

Mac and Jo are talking with Neil, in back yard of a High school, while he is mowing the grass. Neil is thirty seven years old, about 6'2 tall, average weight, with short brown hair, brown beard and moustaches. He wears his janitor's uniform, brown working boots and white working gloves.

"I kinda assumed he will end up on that way", Neil says. "Most sex offenders do."

"What was the last time you saw him?", Mac asks.

"Month ago, while walking on the street. We just said Hello to each other and continued walking."

"Do you know did he had any enemies?"

"No. I served time in same prison as he and knew him, but I don't know much about him."

"Where were you yesterday between four and six pm?", Jo asks.

"I finished shift at three pm. I was in that casino ten miles away from there from four pm till seven pm. Why are you questioning me?"

"Same gun used to kill your ex girlfriend nine years ago was used to kill him", Mac says.

"I didn't kill her. You couldn't proove it nine years ago, you can't proove it now. And I definitely didn't kill him either."

Mac's phone rings. He tooks it from right pocket of his pants and answers.

"Hello?"

Sheldon is on the line.

"Mac, I examined shoe prints found on secondary crime scene. This is whole new brand of working boots, out on sail only for last week. Only few stores have them so far. 40 pairs are sold so far. And shoe prints found there are pretty small, size five. Only one person purchusaed that brand of boots size five so far, two days prior to murder. And person who purchusaed them paid with credit card. We have a name. Elaine Morgan, 32, married, mother of two."

#

Mac and Jo are talking with Elaine on her workplace: she is planting flowers in Central Park. She is average height and weight, Caucasian, with long black hair and blue eyes. Mac immediately notices her boots.

"We found your shoe prints on place where Malcolm Lake's body was found", Jo says. "You wear very distinctive boots, you know. Only you purchusaed them in size five."

Elaine glares at them.

"And also, by depth of shoe prints and scuff marks, it looks like you were draging something heavy in the ditch, left it there, and walked away", Jo explains.

Elaine stops with her work and tooks a deep breath.

"Explanation?", Jo asks.

"Yesterday, at about two pm, shortly before my shift was over, I decided to dump some junk in that ditch near runing path close to this location", Elaine says. "I had it in trunk of my car and I was too lazy to walk to the dumpster. I thought I heard somebody aproaching. I didn't want to loose my job. I dumped junk outside the ditch, on the path, run out the ditch, tooked junk and run away."

_Elaine is wearing blue T-shirt, white jeans, her working boots and her gloves. She is draging big black trash back in the ditch, leaving deep shoe prints and scuff marks. She sees shadow aproaching and stops. She lifts the bag, dumps it outside the ditch, on path, runs out of ditch, tooks bag, and drags it away._

"There was no body there! I later dumped it in the dumpster. I think they tooked out trash this morning."

"Can you describe that person?", Mac asks.

"Unfortunately, no. I was gone before I could get a clear look on him. Or her."

"Where were you yesterday between four and six pm?", Mac asks.

"My shift was over at three pm. I drove back home, alone. And I was there, alone, till 7 pm, when my children came home. They were playing at their friends."

"And your husband?", Jo asks.

"He is on buisness trip for last week. He is coming back home tomorrow."

"Do you owe a gun?", Mac asks.

"No, and I never did. Neither did my husband. You can check. Can I get back to my work now, please?"

"Not till we took your boot prints and swab them", Jo says. "We also need to test you for GSR and took samples of dirt from this eria."

#

Lindsay is in her lab. She is wearing white latex gloves and white lab coat. Evidence bags are all over her desk. She takes burned shirt from evidence bag and examines it. She notices one unburned part, puts shirt on the desk and takes fiber samples from that part of shirt. She puts that fibers under comparison mycroscope, then puts fibers found inside victim's wound under it too, and compares them. They match. She tooks burned wallet from other evidence bag, tooks burned I.D. and drivers licence from it, and scans them under infra-red light. She manages to recover about eighty precent of both and conclude that those are Malcolm Lake's I.D. and drivers licence. Then she picks up photograph of bloody fingerprint found on door knob of Jon Gray's apartment. She scans it in computer and compares it with elimination samples. Soonly, computer beeps; match is found.

At that moment, Don walks towards her.

"Hi, Don!", she says, noticing him. "I managed to recover some usable fibers from burned shirt found in trash can and compare them with fibers found in gunshot wound on victim's body. They matched perfectly. Also, I managed to recover serial number from burned cellphone and link it with our victim. I am still tryng to recover some informations from SIM card, but it is so damaged that I doubt I will anything. I also managed to track down signal of GPS he had in his car. I sent Adam and Jamie to check it out."

"What about brown residue found in his nose and hair?", Don asks.

"I'm still working on it. But I found something interesting in John Gray's case."

"What?"

"I found bloody thumbprint on door knob. DNA analysis of blood is still in progress, but thumbprint matches to one found among elimination samples: thirty year old Howard Smith, owner of apartment which Jon Gray was renting."

#

Don is talking with Howard in interrogation room. Howard is Caucasian, tall and strong, with short dark hair and eyes. He is wearing white T-shirt, blue jeans and black sneakers. Photograph of his thumbprint is on the table next to him.

"Yes, I guess this is my thumbprint", Howard confirms. "So what?"

"So what? Your bloody thumbprint is found on door knob of the apartment in which man was bludgeoned to death, and you don't think that is... I don't know... suspicious?"

"Look, that's my blood."

Don glares at him.

"Look, I live... I lived next to that guy. That morning, about an hour before the murder, I cuted my palm while making breakfast.-While saying so, he shows his right palm, covered with white sterile gauze from inside.-I had no gauze to cover the wound. I ringed his doorbell, he opened, found sterile gauze and gave them to me. I said "Thank you" and left. Blood probably came on my thumb. I probably accidently touched door knob and left the bloody thumbprint. This is my blood, not his. Also, why would I kill him?"

"I don't know, you tell me. And you can also tell me this: where were you at the time of a murder?"

"In my apartment, alone. Can I go now?"

"You can't go anywhere till DNA analysis of that blood is over and compared with both your DNA and Jon's DNA. And if it doesn't match to your DNA, and if it does match to Jon's DNA, you can't go for about twenty years or so. And we will also need that gauze."

#

Jamie and Adam walk towards place where signal is located. This is lonely, dirty alley with big dumpster. Both Jamie and Adam wear white latex gloves over hands and white plastic shoe covers near shoe bottoms.

"I don't see car here", Jamie says while looking around.

"Me either...", Adam says, looking around, then walks closer to the dumpster and looks in it. He notices GPS in it, on top of the trash.

"But GPS is definitely here", he says. He puts brief case on the floor and opens it. He puts forensic tag on top of the trash in dumpster, next to GPS device, and photographs it. He puts photograph in briefcase. He notices tyre track in dust on the ground near by. He puts forensic tag next to it too, photographs it, and puts that photograph in brief case too. He takes evidence bag from brief case, puts GPS device in it, seals the bag and puts it in his forensic briefcase too. He notices chewing gum on the floor. He picks it up, takes another evidence bag from brief case, puts chewing gum in it, seals it, and puts it in brief case too. He takes a swab from brief case, swabs dust in which tyre track is with it (carefully so he wouldn't smudge the tyre track) and stores that swab like other evidences so far.

"That could be good source of DNA", he explains. Then he takes fingerprinting kit from his forensic briefcase. "We got lucky", he comments. "Most of the trash in other dumpsters in town are on junkyard by now."

"I'll powder down this dumpster for fingerprints", he explains. "I'll also probably need to search whole dumpster, maybe gun is in it."

"I'll search the eria, look up for witnesses or the car", Jamie informs him. "I will leave dirty job for you", she smiles.

Adam chuckles and nods. Jamie walks away, and Adam starts powdering dumpster for fingerprints.

**A/N: Words writen in italics are flashbacks.**

**Again, please forgive any minor or grammar mistakes, English is not my native language.**

** Song playing in background of a scene in which Danny is working in the lab is "Hey You" by Pink Floyd. ****Song playing in background of a scene in which Lindsay is working in the lab is "Let it shine" by Jeremy Fisher. If You want, You can listen that songs while You are reading that parts of my story and say did I make a good choice about music :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Mac is walking down the hallway. Sheldon walks towards him, still wearing white latex gloves and white lab coat.

"Hi, Mac", he says. "I examined GPS found in dumpster. It was there, among trash, obviously for quite a while, during hot weather. Most of forensic evidence are derated or compromised. Only thing I was able to recover were two usable fingerprints. They don't match to either Malcolm or Anabel. I found a match in AFIS. Print belongs to twenty-nine year old Carl Jacobs, arrested over twenty times for assault, burgulary, vandalism and drug possession."

#

Don and Jamie walk towards enterance in building where Carl lives. They see Carl walking toward the building. He is Afroamerican, about 5'5 tall, average weight, with short black hair and brown eyes. He is wearing blue T-shirt, black shorts and white sneakers.

"Carl Jacobs?!", Don calls. Carl stops and glares on Don and Jamie.

"We are from NYPD", Don says, while showing his badge. Jamie also shows her badge. "We need to ask you few questions."

After few moments of staring at them motionlesly, Carl starts runing away. Don and Jamie start runing after him. Carl runs in alley on left side, but slips on pool of water and falls. Don tackles him and handcuffs him.

#

Mac is siting at desk in his office, studyng case files. Jo walks in.

"Anabel's albi checks out", Jo says. "Phone records and GPS records from her car confirms her story. And security camera tapes confirm Neil was in casino at time of Malcolm's murder."

Mac just nods and continues studyng case file.

"What are you doing?", Jo asks, curious.

"Studying Melany Jenkin's case file", Mac says.

"Why?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's conected with Malcolm Lake's murder."

Jo sits on chair in front of the desk, opposite to Mac.

"Her car was abandoned on parking lot two miles away from her home-Mac reads.-There were signs that tyre was changed. Both Malcolm's and Melany's fingerprints were found on left front tyre. Tool marks found on that tyre matched to tyre iron found in trunk of his car. Car oil found on that tyre iron matched to car oil found on that tyre iron. Both his and hers fingerprints were found on that tyre iron. It all seems to match to Malcolm's story.

Mac continues studyng case file. Suddenly, he widenes his eyes.

"What?-", Jo asks, confused.

"Six months prior to her disappearance, Melany was checked in hospital. Left arm broken on two places. She was on trip with her father. He claimed she tripped and fell."

#

Theodore Jenkins is in interogation room, siting at the table. Jo is also siting at the table, opposite to him. Mac is standing near by, close to him. Hospital report is on the table, in front of Theodore.

"I don't understand", Theodore says. "It was an accident. And it happened six months ago."

"Paramedics never detaly studied her injuries", Jo says. "We can't know for sure that it was an accident."

"You think that I... beat her up? That I abused her?"

"Here's what we know", Mac says. "We know that your daughter misteriously dissapeard. Her car was found abondoned on parking lot two miles away from her home. Only forensical evidences police found were linked to her and her friends and family members. You harrassed Malcolm Lake, he was questioned about her dissaperance, and now he is dead. Murdered. And you have no alibi for time of your daughters disappearance."

"I didn't hurt her! I never did! I never would! She was my daughter, for God's sake! And I didn't kill Malcolm Lake, I swear I didn't!"

"You can only hope that evidence will confirm your story", Jo says. "But till that, you'll stay here."

#

Carl is in interrogation room, siting at the table. Jamie is also sitng at the table, opposite to him. Don is standing near by. Photograph of Malcolm's face, taken on autopsy table, is on the table in interogation room, in front of Carl.

"I never saw him", Carl claims. "I don't even know who is... who was that guy. And I definitely I didn't kill him!"

"Than why were you running?", Don asks him.

"When cop yells my name, I run and ask questions later."

"We found your fingerprints on GPS which was stolen from his car", Jamie informs Carl.

Carl takes a deep breath.

"Look... I can explain", he says. "I was taking a walk and passed near that dumpster, in that alley, and I saw GPS on the ground, near dumpster. I picked it up to study it little closer, to see is it any worth, and then I noticed two police officers walking towards the alley. I am on probation. I panicked, I dumped GPS in dumpster and ran away! That's it!"

_Carl is walking down the street, with hands in his pockets. He is wearing white T-shirt, black shorts and white sneakers. He notices GPS on the road, near dumpster. He stops and picks it up. He hears somebody talking. He turns around and sees two police officers walking towards his direction. He dumps GPS in the dumpster and runs away._

"Where were you yesterday between four and six pm?", Don asks him.

"At my apartment, watching TV."

"Can anybody confirm that?", Don asks him.

Carl remains silent.

"Exactly as I thought", Don comments. "I guess you'll stay here for a while."

#

Mac is walking down the hallway, while talking with Lindsay.

"Carl's story is true", Lindsay says. "Dust I found on back side of GPS matches to dust found on the road near the dumpster. And Adam informed me that GPS is slightly damaged."

"Like somebody threw it on the road. Maybe from moving car?"

"It's possible. Adam also said that damage will make recovery of informations from GPS more difficult, but it won't be impossible."

Mac nods, and Lindsay returns in the lab. Then Jo walks towards him.

"I checked phone records from phone on Malcolm's workplace", she says. "Only one person called him on day when he died, hour before his shift was over.l

"Were you able to locate the call?"

"Yes. Person called from Elm street 72."

"Who lives there?

"Fourty-three year old Cassandra Morgan and her son, sixteen year old Mike."

#

Mac and Jo are talking with Cassandra, in her living room. She is Caucasian woman, about 5'8 tall, average weight, with long brown hair and brown eyes. She is wearing white house dress and blue woolen sleepers. She is siting in red armchair, Mac and Jo are siting on blue couch opposite to it. They are holding notebooks and pens in their hands.

"Phone records confirm that you called victim on his workplace on day when he died", Mac informs her.

"Yes. I did."

"Why?", Jo asks her.

Cassandra takes a deep breath, than says:

"My son is in jail."

"Why?", Jo asks.

"One girl from his school didn't like the way he was looking at her. And she... reported him."

"Peeping in public?", Mac asks.

"Or sexual harassment, how they like to call it. Probably to make it sound more vicious. My son's lawyer informed me that this woman, Rebecca Hillton, is lawyer of a girl who sued him."

"And...?", Mac asks.

"She runs that... organization. You know, the group which promotes idea about minor sex offenders being threated on the same way like... violent sexual predators. So, one day, I followed her one day and saw her with woman. I found articles about her on internet, I found photograph of her with that woman and found out woman's name. I googled her and found out about trial for statutory rape of her daughter. I found out who was convicted for that, Malcolm Lake. I found him on sex offenders register, found out his adress, his workplace, phone number which I can use to contact him on his workplace. I didn't want to call him on house number. I didn't want to disturb him. And... I really couldn't meet him face to face and tell him... that."

"What did you try to accomplish by talking with him?", Jo asks her.

"I don't know. I was desperate... I thought that maybe he knows her law techniques and that could help me. But he didn't know anything that could be usefull. He told me few comforting words and we ended the conversation."

"Where were you yesterday between four and six pm?", Mac asks.

"Home, alone. Mostly cryng and studyng murder and rape rate in American prisons. I didn't kill him. I had no reason to. And since my son is in jail, he couldn't do it either. He didn't even know about Malcolm. If I would be so desperate to kill someone, I would kill Rebecca, not him."

"And your husband...?", Jo asks.

"He died in car accident five years ago. My daughter too. My son is all I have."

#

Don is walking down the hallway. Lindsay aproches him. She is still wearing white lab coat and white latex gloves.

"DNA analysis confirmed that blood inside bloody thumbprint is Howard's", she says. "There is only Howard's blood on gauze, but two DNA profiles were recovered from sweat and skin cells found on it: one belongs to Howard, other to victim, Jon Gray. And gauzes match to that found in drawer in his bathroom."

"So, Howard was telling the truth."

"It definitely seems so. All blood on beer bottle belongs to victim. Sid confirmed that cause of death was violent blow to the back of a skull and that beer bottle matches to injury. Glass fragments found inside the wound also match to that bottle. I found silavia on bottle, but DNA analysis prooved it belongs to victim. Beer which Sid found in his stomach and alchohol which he found in his blood prooves that he was drinking beer shortly before he was murdered There was no usable fingerprints on beer bottle or on doorbell, it seems that killer wiped them away. I found white fiber on beer bottle, which doesn't match to any elimination fiber samples colected. Maybe from wipe killer used it to wipe fingerprints, but it was clean, because there are no traces of killer's kit recovered vaginal fluid. I recovered female's DNA, no match in CODIS or missing person's database. Same DNA traces were recovered from vaginal fluid, sweat, skin cells and pubic hair found on bed sheets. Other DNA traces found on bed sheets-including semen-were linked to him."

"So, he had a girlfriend."

"It definitely looks that way. It could also explain two types of fingerprints found on bed frame: one type belongs to him, other type is still unidentifeid. I found eight types of latent shoe prints in his apartment: five were linked with shoes found in his possession. From three types of unidentifeid latent shoe prints, two are size 8: one came from sandals, other from shoes with high heels. Maybe his girlfriend left it. Third one came from very common type of working shoes, size 11. Doesn't match to victims shoe size or any shoes found in his possession. I also recovered male DNA profile from cigaret butt found on the floor in front of his doors and I found a match in CODIS. It matched to thirty year old Gary Heffernan, charged twice for burgulary and once for armed robbery."

#

Don and Jamie are talking with Gary. He works as garbage worker, he is tooking trash from trash cans in front of the building and throungh it in back of his orange truck. He is Caucasian, about 5'11 tall, thin, with short brown hair, brown eyes, brown beard and moustaches. He is wearing his uniform, working boots, and white working gloves.

"Never saw him, never heard of him", Gary says.

"We found your DNA on cigaret butt found on the floor in front of his apartment doors", Jamie informs him while puting photograph back.

Gary stops working and tooks a deep breath.

"I was working there", he says. "My shift was over. I lighted a cigarete. I thought that somebody maybe left the doors unlocked, maybe I can sneak him, steal something... I just came to his doors, and then I heard guy from apartment next to his screaming about cuting himself or something. I got scared and ran away. I accidently dropped the cigarette."

_Gary walks towards Jon's apartment doors, smoking cigarette. He is wearing his usual uniform, working boots, and gloves. He hears screams from apartment next door._

_"Shit! I cut myself... Man!"_

_Gary runs away, accidently dropping the cigarette._

"Then I went home, alone, by bus."

"Raise your boot", Don says. Gary rolls his eyes, but raises his right boot. Both Don and Jamie read shoe size on it's bottom: twelve.

#

Tennis field. Mac is standing near by. One girl is just living the field. She is sixteen years old, about 5'8 tall, average weight, with long curly blonde hair and blue eyes. She is wearing white T-shirt, white shorts, white tennis shoes and holds her black sports bag in her hand. She has white wrist bandage over her right wrist.

"Gina Stanworth?", Mac asks. Girl stops and looks at him.

"Yes, that's me", she says, confused. "What do you need?"

"I'm police officer Mac Taylor", he says, showing his badge, then puts it back. "I want to know did you know Malcolm Lake."

"No", Gina answers after after short thinking. "Why?"

"He was murdered yesterday. I am asking you that because mother of boy who you sue knew him."

Gina glares at him.

"I know why are you here", she says. "You want to convince me to drop the charge."

"I didn't say that."

"But you mean it. I can see that in your eyes. Look... my older sister had the same problem, with guy in college. She never did anything. And then he raped her. She commited suicide. And it all started like that. Like in my case. There is no way that I will drop that charge."

She starts walking away.

"Where were you yesterday between four and six pm?", Mac asks her.

Gina stops and glares at him again.

"Home, alone. Studying and preparing for uncoming trial. And now, I am going home", she finishes and walks away.

#

Jamie and Lindsay walk in basement of night club. They are wearing white latex gloves over hands and white plastic shoe covers over shoe bottoms. Don is also wearing white latex gloves over hands and white plastic shoe covers over shoe bottoms. He is standing next to opened basement doors, interrogating janitor who found the body. Janitor is Caucasian man, in early 30's, tall, thin, with short red hair and blue eyes. He is wearing red T-shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers. Don is holding notebook and pen in his hands, writing notes during is lyng on the floor. Body belongs to Caucasian woman in late 20's, about 5'9 tall, average weight, with long curly black hair and blue eyes. She is only wearing tight silver bra, panties, and black leather boots. She has five deep stab wounds on the middle of a chest. Bloody ice pick is lying on the floor near by. Sid is also wearing white latex gloves over hands and white plastic shoe covers over shoe bottoms. He is standing near the body, studyng it. His forensic briefcase is lying on the floor near by. Danny is powdering door knobs fingerprints.

"Owner identifeid victim as twenty-eight years old Cheryl Stanworth. Her stage name was Ecstasy. She worked here as go-go dancer for five years. Janitor came in basement because he forgot his walked there and found her body."

"She isn't dead for long, half an hour at most", Sid says. "I think it's pretty obvious what cause of death is. Her vocal cords are slit. She couldn't scream. And even if she could... well, music here is pretty loud."

Danny walks toward them.

"There is no usable fingerprints on either of the door knobs", he informs them. "Somebody wiped them."

Lindsay notices piece of paper on the floor. She puts her forensic brief case on the floor near by, opens it, tooks forensic tag, puts it on the floor next to piece of paper, photographs it, then picks up the paper and examines it.

"Something is writen on it", she says. "With capital letters. _"MEET ME IN THE BASEMENT __WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR FIRST BREAK, I'LL WAIT FOR YOU.""_

"There are no obvious signs of sexual assault", Sid says, "but her panties seem disturbed. Maybe killer took something from them."

"Maybe money?", Jamie suggests.


	4. Chapter 4

Next morning. Don and Jamie walk in the morgue, wearing white latex gloves. They walk toward autopsy table on which body is. Sid is standing near by, wearing white latex gloves, his lab coat and his eyeglasses.

"Oh", he says when he notices them, and walks towards the body. "So... She died less than half an hour before her body was found. She has ten deep stabbing wounds on the chest, mostly on middle of it. Only three stabbing wounds were fatal, however: two that went through the heart and one that went all thr way through her body. Shape of stabbing wounds perfectly matches to stabbing wounds found on her body. I would say that killer is most likely right handed. Toxicology tests only showed small amount of alcohol, nothing else."

"Any signs of sexual assault?", Jamie sala.

"Nothing that would point on rape, rape kit did recover semen", he says, tooks plastic evidence bag with rape kit from grey metal table near by, and handles it to Jamie, who takes it. "I also found skin and fibers under her fingernails-he says, tooks evidence bag with that other swab and handles it to Don, who tooks it."

#

Don is walking down the hallway. Jamie aproaches him.

"Hi, Don."

"Hi."

"Look, I did some research about John Gray's background, and I found out something very interesting."

"What?"

"He had criminal record. Nothing serious, only some petty stuff, but in 2010 he was arrested for stealing a laptop. He offered something in exchange for a deal."

"What?"

"He pointed out on information he stumbled upon while using a laptop. Based on those informations, owner of laptop, forty year old Cindy Miller, was convicted on five years in prison because of financial fraud. In exchange, Jon only received six months of probation. She was paroled after serving three years and was released month ago."

#

Don and Jamie are talking with Cindy, who is working as waitress in local cafe. She is Caucasian woman, about 5'4 tall, average weight, with long brown hair and brown eyes. She is wearing white shirt, black skirt and black shoes. She is standing behind the counter, alone, making coffee.

"I can't denie I don't feel sorry for him", Cindy says. "But I didn't kill him."

"Did you ever saw him after you got out?", Don asks.

"No."

"Do you have alibi for yesterday between 12 am and 1:30 pm?", Jamie asks.

"No, but I have a lawyer. We're done here", she says and walks away to serve the customers.

#

Adam is sitting at desk in his office, wearing white lab coat and white latex gloves. Broken GPS from Malcolm Lake's car is lyng on the table, conected with computer, and he is finishing last fixing works on it with screwdriver.

Mac walks towards him.

"Hi, Mac", Adam says, noticing him, and then continues working.

"Is that GPS stolen from Malcolm Lake's car?"

"Yes, it is. I'm just finishing with recovery of informations... and here it is."

They both look at the computer screen, and start reading informations.

"So...", Adam starts. "GPS memorizes last three thousand miles, but se will only concentrate on day of his murder. So... that day, first activity started at 6:30 am he headed from his home towards his workplace. He got there at 7 am. Then nothing till 3:10 pm when he started driving off his workplace, but he wasn't driving home. At 3:40 pm he stopped the car in Maple Street 5 and then... there was no activity till 4:10 pm when car headed from there to place where we recovered GPS. Then activity stops."

"What's on Maple Street 5?", Mac asks.

"Public children's playground", Adam reads from the screen.

#

Playground. Mac and Jo are standing at the side of a road near by, questioning people they found there-mostly young parents with their children. Playground isn't pretty big-few big sand boxes on the ground, several swings, some trees and bushes and some flowers. It is suronded with small blue metal fence. Danny, Lindsay and Sheldon are in the playground. They wear white latex gloves over hands and white plastic shoe covers over shoe bottoms. They also hold their forensic briefcases in their hands.

"So... his only offence was statutory rape?", Sheldon comments.

"What are you trying to say, Sheldon?", Lindsay asks, slightly irritated.

"Nothing, but, you know... registered sex offender possibly killed on playground for children..."

"We don't know anything yet", Danny reminds him. "We'll see. Mac and Jo are investigating parents and children. Most of them visit this playground regulary. They will take elimination samples from all of them.

They start examining the playground. Lindsay founds cigaret butt near front enterance. She puts her briefcase on the ground near by, opens it, lifts forensic tag from it, puts it on the ground near cigarette butt, photographs it, takes plastic evidence bag from her briefcase, picks up cigarette butt, puts it in it, seals it, and puts evidence bag back in her briefcase. Then she also takes ground sample, stores it in other evidence bag and puts it in her forensic briefcase too.

Sheldon applies some luminol over the sand and recovers traces of blood. He founds clean swab in forensic briefcase which is lying opened on the ground near by, swabs blood with it, and stores swab in plastic container also tooken from that briefcase. He also selects sand samples.

Danny is powdering front side of a fence and it's doors for fingerprints, using red fingerprint powder. He founds about thirty usable fingerprints and ten partial palm prints. He lifts them and stores them.

Sheldon is carefully walking over the sand, looking for shoe prints. He founds lots of them, but most of them are partial. Still, he marks, measures, and photographs all of them. He can't make impretions, since sand is soft. He also takes sand samples. When he begins to leave, he notices bloody thumbprint on the hedge near by. He marks it, photographs it, lifts it, stores it, swabs some blood left and stores the swab.

Danny is searching whole playground with metal detector. He founds few coins, ear ring and few Coca Cola cans, but no shell casing or gun. Still, he marks and photographs those things and stores them seperately as evidences.

Lindsay searches small eria behind the playground, covered with bushes and small trees, leading to the road. She notices shell casing on the ground, puts her brief case on the ground near by, opens it, takes forensic tag from it, puts it on the ground near shell casing, photographs it, lifts evidence bag from briefcase, puts shell casing in it, seals it, and puts it back in her brief case. She notices pool of dirty water in small hole in the ground near by, takes screwdriver from briefcase, dips it in pool of water and moves it around a little. Soonly, she founds something metal and tooks it out with help of screwdriver: it's .45 calibar gun. She also takes sample of water.

#

Sheldon walks into his office, wearing white lab coat and white latex gloves.

"Hi, Mac", Sheldon says. "I analyzed shoe prints found in playground. Most of them were in soft sand and partial, but I managed to pull some of them together and recover some usable shoe prints. Most of them were linked with elimination shoe prints tooken from parents and children who were visiting playground today, but I found two strained shoe print in the ground leading from front doors to sand box: one came from working shoe number twelve-the same type of shoes Malcolm Lake was wearing on day he was killed-and other is from tennis shoes size seven. It's incredible we managed to found them after two days, even if they weren't in the sand. They were probably some in sand, but they couldn't possibly survive after two days. Lindsay also linked sand from sand box with brown residue found in Malcolm Lake's nouse and hair."

"So, we know he was there two days ago."

"Yes, but no child was reported killed, raped or missing in that eria in last ten years. Melany Jenkins is missing, but there are no records she or her brother visited playground since they turned ten. Danny performed DNA analysis which confirms that blood in the sand and in bloody thumbprint is Malcolm's. There were also traces of gunshot residue inside the bloody fingerprint. Also, Lindays concluded that trace in Malcolm's blood is from very common type of bottlee water, and female DNA was recovered inside. I ran both thumbprint and DNA profile through police database... and I found the match."

#

Elaine Morgan is siting at table in interogarion room. She is wearing pink T-shirt, blue jeans and her brown working boots. Jo and Mac are also siting at that table, opposite to her. Photograph of bloody fingerprint is on the table in front of her.

"We found your thumbprint on hedge on place where Malcolm's murder happened", Mac informs her.

"You have my fingerprints? How?"

"Due to traffic offence you commited ten years ago", Jo explains. "And this is very least of your problems right now, because we found that thumbprint not only on crime scene, but also inside the victim's blood and with traces of gunshot residue on it. And We also had your DNA profile in our database, which matches to silavia found in water used to wash away traces of victim's blood."

Elaine takes a deep breath, that says:

"It's not how it seems."

"Then how is it?", Mac asks.

Elaine tooks another deep breath, then says:

"On my way home from work, I passed near playground and noticed the body. I pulled over and went to check out. That's how I left the bloody thumbprint."

_Elaine runs to Malcolm's dead body, lyng on the backs, in sand box in playground. She knees next to him and puts hand on left side of his chest, checking his pulse. When she raises her arm, she notices blood on her fingertips. Shocked, she slowly stands up and moves few feet away. She touches the hedge behind her, leaving bloody thumbprint._

"Then what happened?", Jo asks.

"Look.. my children are playing there. I didn't want it to get bad publicity and ends up being shut down. I searched his pockets and found car key. I found black SUV parked near by and found out that keys match. I parked my car on desert parking lot near by, locked it, drag his body in trunk of his car, used bottled water I had in my car to wash away traces of blood, and drove away in his car, using his car key. I pulled out GPS so nobody could track a signal, and dumped it in that alley on my way to Central Park. I used my cellphone to call my husband. I told him that I will be late because I got stuck in traffic. I drove car to Central Park and dumped his body in ditch next to running path, close to location where I work this week. I undressed him to remove any possible evidence that could be linked to me or the playground. I dumped his shirt, pants, shoes, wallet and cellphone in trash can about half mile away and burned them with lighter I had in my pocket. I sat back in his car, drove it to Houston river fifteen miles away and let it crash in river. I left it turned on, with windows opened, tooked rock and dumped it through opened car window on gas pedal. I used a bus to come to location closest to the parking lot, walked to my car on foot, hoped in and drove back home."

Short silence.

"Will... will I go to jail?", Elaine asks.

"You moved the body and covered up evidences", Mac says. "That is a serious crime. And before investigation is over, you remain a murder suspect."

#

Mac is sitting at desk in his office, studyng Melany Jenkin's case file. On one of her photographs, taped during family party, he notices something on bracelet on her right wrist. He runs out his office.

#

Adam is sitting at desk in his office, working on his computer. Mac is standing near by. Zoomed image of Melany's right wrist is on computer screen.

"Yes, it seems original investigation overlooked this", Adam notices. "This is new type of bracelet, with GPS device in it, so it can be tracked down if it is stolen. And serial number is clearly visible. By serial number, we can get access to GPS records and track down... the bracelet."

#

Mac parks black SUV in corner of running path in Central Park and he, Jo and Adam run out of it, closing the doors behind. They run to the place where signal is detected: bushy field near the path. They all wear white latex gloves over hands and white plastic shoe covers over shoe bottoms.

"There is nobody here", Adam notices, looking around.-I don't see bracelet either.

Mac notices something on the ground.

"It seems like somebody was digging something here", he says, pointing with finger at that spot. "We need a shovel!"

Adam runs to SUV, takes shovel from the trunk, and runs back. Mac tooks shovel and starts digging. Soonly, he founds Melany's lifeless body.

** A/N: Song which plays in background of a scene where team is searching the playground is "Rehab" by Amy Winehouse.**


	5. Chapter 5

Mac and Jo are standing aside, near their SUV, while other forensics are carrying away Melany's body and looking for evidences.

"She is buried there for quite a while", Jo says. "Close to two weeks. She is dead for about the same time."

"She disappeared ten days ago. Time line matches. Are we completely sure that is Melany?"

"Description matches, but we'll need to compare dental records to be completely sure. Sid can't say exact cause of death before the autopsy, but it she obviously died a violent death. There are signs of fractured bones and blunt force trauma. It would be hard to say was there sexual assault or not. After all, she was buried there for ten days."

"I received the call few minutes ago. They found black SUV in Houston river. Licence plates confirm it is Malcolm's car. Location matches to that which Elaine gave to us. Driver's seat and rear mirrors are set for somebody between 5'6 and 5'8 tall. That matches to her height. Window on driver side doors was opened, and rock was found inside, on gas pedal. Everything seem to match to her story."

"Well, at least somebody was telling the truth."

#

Lindsay is siting at desk in her office, wearing white latex gloves and white lab coat. Gun and shell casing found in the park are on the desk. Danny walks in, toward her desk.

"Hi, honey", she smiles when she notices him. "So... gun found in Malcolm's body matches to this gun and to shell casing found in the park. There are no usable fingerprints or traces of DNA on the shell casing, and since gun was in pool of dirty water for days, no much luck there either. Serial number links gun to security guard Danny Gacy. He was assaulted and his gun was stolen nine years ago, day before Melissa Morales's murder. They never caught the person who did that. I finaly managed to recover some information from burned SIM card of Malcolm's cellphone. Somebody called him on day of his murder, short time before the end of his shift, from phone booth close to playground. I send Adam there to check it out. However, DNA from cigarett butt found in playground matches to thirty year old Xavier Wong, who served five years in prison for child molestation. He is visiting his relatives here, so nobody even knew he is here till recently."

"Any other foundings?"

"Yes. DNA analysis linked skin found under fingernails of murdered go-go dancer, Cheryl Stanworth, to DNA profile recovered from one of elimination DNA samples. It belongs to other go-go dancer who also worked in that nightclub, twenty-four year old Joann Pratt. I already informed Don and Jamie about that. I am still working on recobrtnika her DNA profile from her rape kit."

#

Joann is sitting at table in interrogation room. She is Caucasian woman, about 5'9 tall, average weight, with long curly red hair and blue eyes. Don and Jamie are also siting at that table, opposite to her.

"We found your DNA under Cheryl Stanworth's fingernails", Don informs her. "We also found out that you had a pause at the same time she did. That means you had enough time to kill her."

Joann tooks a deep breath, then says:

"Look. My car was broken. I wanted her to borrow me her car on few days because I did the same for her year ago. She refused. And... I guess it got ugly. But I didn't kill her."

"So, what were you doing during pause?"

"I was outside, slashing her car tyres."

Both Don and Jamie glare at her.

"Look, you can examine screwdriver in glove compartment of my car and her car tyres. You'll see that I'm telling the truth."

#

Mac and Jo are talking with Xavier, who is siting in garden of his parent's house. He is Asian man, about 5'5 tall, average weight, with short black hair and black eyes. He is wearing orange T-shirt, white shorts and brown sandals.

"Mr. Wong, we found cigarett butt with your DNA in children's playground", Mac informs him.

"I was driving near that place few days ago on my way here. I threw a cigarett butt hrough opened car window. It probably landed there."

"Man was murdered in that playground", Jo informs him.

"I have nothing to do with that. Why would I kill him? I never heard of him."

"I don't know. Maybe he caught you preying on kids there and things became ugly."

"Where were you two days ago before four and six pm?", Mac asks him.

"Here."

"Can anybody confirm it?"

"My parents."

Mac glares at him, but says nothing.

#

Mac is siting at desk in his office. Adam, who wears white lab coat and white latex gloves, runs in, obviously very excited.

"Mac, you need to see this", he says.

Mac and Adam run into Adam's part of the lab, toward his desk, and look at the computer monitor.

"Melany had I-phone when she went missing, but signal couldn't be detected because it was turned off the whole time", Adam explains. "But suddenly, just few minutes ago, signal was detected. Somebody must've turned it back on."

"Did you track down I-phone's location?"

"Yes. Park street 45, Bronx."

#

Park street 45, Bronx. Street market. One teenage girl is standing near one stand. Gary Heffernan is standing behind that stand, now wearing red T-shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers. He is showing her Melany's I-phone.

"I'm telling you, this is quite a deal", Gary is saying. "One perfectly good, only little used I-phone for only two hundred dolars. Think about it."

Mac and Jo walk towards him.

"Selling is over for you, Gary", Jo says, and Mac handcuffs him.

#

Gary is sitting at the table in interrogation room, being interogated by Jo and Mac, who are also siting at the table, opposite to him.

"Signal tracking and fingerprints found on I-phone confirm that it belonged to Melany", Jo explains. "She was found death today. We also found her purse in your apartment."

"I didn't kill her, OK?"

"Well, you have criminal record. You were already interogated about other murder yesterday. And last week, when Melany dissapeard, your garbage route was also covering the eria where she disappeared. And your credit carstvo records confirm that you purchusaed baseball cap and sunglasses in store close to parking lot where her car was foumd abonded, on day when she dissapeard. How would you say this seems?", Mac asks him.

"How did you end up with her I-phone?", Jo asks her.

Gary tooks a deep breath, then says:

"I just finished my work and planned to go home when I spotted her on that parking lot. Some guy was helping her to chanhge car tyre. She seemed like an easy target. I already had my working gloves. I ran to nearby store and purchusaed baseball cap and sunglasses, as a disguise. I puted them on and returned. I waited for guy to leave, then I ran towards her, grabbed her purse and ran off. She was yelling for help, but nobody heard her. Then I heard her running after me. I soonly heard scream and some strange noise, but didn't look behind. I ran about half more mile, dumped baseball cap and sunglasses in dumpster, and came back home by bus. And that's it, I swear!"

#

Mac and Jo are sitting near autopsy table where Melany's body is. They wear white latex gloves on their hands. Sid is standing near by, wearing white latex gloves, his lab coat, and his eyeglasses.

"Dental records confirm that is Melany", Sid says. "But her injuries are pretty wierd. Both of her knees are broken withsaw weapon and she has injury on both her face and back of her head. That is also the cause of death; combimation of severe head trauma and broken neck. It seems like somebody pushed her head against some blunt object, causing injury on her face, and then, it is like back of her head bounced against something, causing injury on back of her head. Odd."

"Not if she was hit by a car", Jo suggests. Both Mac and Sid glare at her.

"It is possible", she explains. "Gary said he heard scream and wierd noise. Car hits her in the knees, causes her to fall forward, she injuries her face, force causes her body to jump up from car, turn in the air and falls on car roof. Her head bounces against car roof. She dies and rolls down on the ground."

"I'll check which car was repared on day of her murder", Mac says.

#

Mac and Jo are walking down the hallway.

"Well, crime scene is useless, forensicly", Jo says. "Both secondary one and original one. Paint found on her body came from silver Audi A11. There are thirty thousand registered silver Audies A11 in New York city. Killer could be anywhere by now. There are no glass fragments, so it is possible glass on car was bullet proof. That narrows it down to five thousand cars. Initial forensic examination recovered skiding marks half mile away from Melany's car, but they are very unclear. Danny examined that eria with luminol. Some blood was found, too derated for any analysis. No car was repared on day of her murder in closer eria. The only thing found was one usable shoe print found ontop of the grave."

"Shoe print?"

"Yes, Brendon's running shoes size nine."

_In flashback, Mac remembers noticing running shoes which one of the joggers, Tim Grissom, was wearing when he and his girlfriend found Malcolm's body. Brand was writen on back of it: "Brendon's running shoes"._

#

Cheryl Davenport is sitting at the table in interrogation room. Now, she is wearing white T-shirt, pink shorts and blue sandals. Mac and Jo are also sitting at that table, opposite to her.

"We found traces of blood on your car", Mac explains. "We know you washed it, but washing away blood is harder than it seems."

"DNA analysis comfirms that blood belongs to Melany Jenkins, who We found burried in Central Park today. Paint found on her body matches to paint samples took from your car. You have bullet proof car glass. That would explain lack of damage on your car windows and lack of glass fragments. And GPS from your car confirms that you suddenly drove in parking lot where her car was found, on day of her murder, and later drove back home."

"And we know that you used hammer to fix the damage on front side of your car, but we still found traces of that damage."

"Look... it isn't how it seems!", Cheryl says, then tooks deep breath as tears film her eyes. "It... it was an accident, OK?"

_Cheryl is driving her car, silver Audi A11. Her I-phone is on passenger seat. It rings. She takes it in order to read the text message and text back, but soonly looses control over the car. Her I-phone falls on the car floor and her car drives down on the parking lot. She manages to stop it, but before managing to do see, she hits Melany, who ran in front of her car while running after Gary._

"But you didn't burry her", Jo says.

#

Tim Grissom is sitting at the table in other interrogation room, wearing black T-shirt, white shorts and white sneakers. Don and Jamie are also sitting at that table, opposite to him. Evidence bag with his running shoes is on the table.

"Your running shoes match to shoe print found on top of Melany Jenkin's grave", Don informs him.

"We found shovel and hammer im trunk of your car", Jamie says. "Dirt on shovel matches to dirt samples selected from burial sight. DNA analysis linked two long brown hairs on shovel. Paint on hammer found in your trunk matches to paint on her car. DNA analysis linked them with victim. Only your fingerprints are on shovel and hammer. We have them because both you and Cheryl gave fingerprint and DNA samples after you found Malcolm Lake's body. We found traces of her blood in trunk of your car. We examined Cheryl's I-phone. She called you on day of Melany's murder at 3:30 pm. You talked for two minutes. Call bounced against phone tower only two miles away from place where her car was found abonded. GPS in your car confirms that you, on day of her murder, drove to parking lot where her car was found abandoned, then in Central Park, on place where she was buried, then back home."

"I... she called me, panicking, crying. She already had few traffic offences. I couldn't aloud her to go to jail."

_Cheryl is sitting at bench in parking lot, cryng. Tim is sitting next to her, wearing black T-shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers, gently holding her hand._

_"Look... you will stay here. I'll clean up your car. When I do, you'll drive home. I'll take car of her, OK?"_

_Cheryl nods._

_Tim opens the trunk of his car. He drags Melany's body to trunk of his car and stuffs it in it. He takes towel and bottle full of water from trunk, then uses it to wash away traces of blood from Cheryl's car and from the ground. He tooks plastic trash bag from right pocket of his jeans, puts towel and now empty bottle in it, and puts it in the trunk too. He tooks hammer from the trunk and uses it to fix the damage on front side of Cheryl's car. He puts hammer back in trunk of his car, then closes it. Cheryl hops back in her car and drives away. _

_Tim stops his car near running path, and walks out, closing the doors behind. He looks around, opens the trunk and drags Melany's body to the field near by. He walks back to the trunk, takes shovel from it, closes it, walks back in the field and starts digging. _

#

Mac and Jo are walking down the hallway.

"He'll probably serve year or two in juvenile facility", Jo says. "It's probably same for her, although she'll maybe even get probation."

"It's tragic", Mac comments. "It could happen to anybody."

Jo sighs. She can't disagree. However, she feels that they will come upon something even more tragic soon.

Jo's cellphone rings. She tooks it from right pocket of her pants and answers.

"Hello? What? OK, OK, we'll be there." She ends the call and puts the phone back.

"Who was that?", Mac asks.

"Sid. He says he discovered something important on Malcolm Lake's body. He wants us to take a look."

#

Morgue. Mac and Jo are standing near autopsy table where Malcolm Lake's body is. They wear white latex gloves on their hands. Sid is also standing near by, wearing white latex gloves, his lab coat, and his eyeglasses.

"I didn't notice that till now", Sid explains, "but I noticed small trace on Malcolm's right thumb. Lindsay analysed it. Gun oil. Also, I noticed that his right thumb was broken. It probably happened shortly before his death, because there was still no obvious signs."

"So, he was trying to took gun away from the killer", Jo concludes.

"Exactly. Of course, there was no DNA under his fingernails, but it could easilly dissapear while body was moved or as a result of decomposing. However, I think I may have something that could help you found your killer."

"And that is..."

"Well, if Malcolm has broken thumb, it would be logicall to expect that killer also has some sort of injury, at least twisted wrist or something."

"Well, unfortunately, none of people se interogated has that kind of injury", Jo says.

"Actually... I met someone who has", Mac says.


	6. Chapter 6

Don is talking with Jamie in the hallway.

"Strip club in which Cheryl Davenport worked has no security cameras", she explains. "Privacy terms. Some clients remembered suspicious-looking client in club that night. Man Caucasian, in mid 40's to early 50's, red baseball cap, black sunglasses, black coat, grey pants, black shoes. Not enough for composite sketch. If he wore dark clothing, it would be hard to see blood on him. Had glass of whiskey, paid in cash. Glass is all washed up by now."

Don nods and Jamie walks away. Don starts walking down the hallway. Lindsay walks towards him.

"Hi, Don", she says. "Type of paper and ink used to write note to rule Cheryl Davenport in the basement is very common. No usable fingerprints or traces pf DNA. Letter was writen capital letters, making handwriting analysis fingerprints on ice pick. Killer wiped them all. It seems that he stole it from the counter. Fibers found under Cheryl Davenport's fingernails came from new brand of expensive La Coste man coats. Same fibers were found on the note, but none of that is the "news of the day". I managed to recover DNA profile from semen recovered in Cheryl Davenport's rape kit. I ran it through CODIS. It matches to John Gray."

"First murder victim?"

"Yes. And DNA profile recovered from John's sex kit matches to her DNA. It also matches to DNA recovered from pubic hair, sweat, skin cells and vaginal fluid recovered on John's bed sheets. Her fingerprints match to unidentifeid fingerprints recovered on John's bed frame. And two of the shoes recovered in her closet match to unidentified latent shoe prints found in John's apartment."

"So, she was the mistery girlfriend!"

"Yes. And I also examined her car. Yes, tyres were slashed, just as Joann said. Screwdriver found in glove compartment of her car matches to scars on tyres, traces of rubber found on it match to Cherly's car tyres, and only her fingerprints are on screwdriver. But, while examining Cheryl's car tyres, I noticed small, barely visible trace inside of car's exhaust, so I swabbed it and analysed it."

"So, what was it?"

"Blood. Human blood. Male's DNA. Didn't match to John. I ran it through CODIS. No match, but it was simmilair to one female DNA profile in CODIS. Susane Sparrow, thirty years old, in system due to theft charge."

"So, whoever left the blood is related to her."

"Probably her brother. As it turns out, she did have younger brother, twenty eight years old Jerry. He was mugged and killed two years ago. And interesting fact is that one man, twenty four years old Johnny Shaw is already serving his twenty five years to life sentence for that murder."

"Then, how blood ended up in Cheryl's car."

"I don't know. There are no signs that Jerry or Johnny were linked with her anyhow. But maybe..."

"John and Cheryl mugged and killed Jerry and Johnny is innocent?"

"Exactly. He had no prior criminal offences or financial problems, didn't know the victim, had a job. He was arrested for driving too fast two days after the murder on his way to work and unregistered gun was found in his glove compartment. Balistics linked it with bullets found in Jerry's body. Only his fingerprints were on that gun. His DNA also matched to chewing gum found near Jerry's body. Stolen money was never found. He claimed he visited that place day before the murder and that's how he left the chewing gum there, and that he found the gun in dumpster in front of his dumpster that morning while he was dumping trash, took it and planned to give it to police. John lived in that same building."

"Who was prosecutor in that case?"

"Uhm... I think George Gonzales. Why?"

"I heard about him. Year ago, whole svandal broke out when man who was serving ten year sentence for rape was eventualy found to be innocent. George was prosecutor in that case. That almost ruined his carrier. If somebody found out about this, his life would be completely ruined."

"Wait... you can't seriously think that state prosecutor..."

Don tooks newspapers from right pocket of his pants. George's photograph is on front page.

"Do you see what coat is he wearing?", he asks Lindsay. She sees it is , and widenes her eyes in shock.

#

George Gonzales is sitting at the desk in his office. He is Caucasian man in late 40's, about 5'11 tall, average weight, with short brown hair and brown eyes. He is wearing white shirt, black pants, black shoes and red tie. Don and Jamie are standing in his office in front of his desk. Jamie has white latex gloves over her hands.

"What can I do for you?", he asks.

"We would like you to give your coat and shoes on analysis", Don says.

"Do you have a warrant?", Georhe asks them.

"No."

"I didn't think so", George smirks. "And now excuse me, it's time for my lunch break. When I return, I don't want you here", he says, stands up, tooks his coat and walks away, closing the door behind.

Don and Jamie start walking around the office. Jamie notices white, food-stained, wrinkled paper napkin in trash can, with few black fibers on it. She photographs it with her Iphone, then picks it up.

"I would say that fibers remained on this came from his coat", she says. "Since it was in the trash, we have right to take this without a warrant. I'm sure forensics will link it with fibers found under Cheryl's fingernails."

"That won't stand on trial", Don reminds her.

"No", Jamie agrees. "But it will be more than enough for the warrant."

#

Gina Stanworth is sitting at the table in interrogation room. She is wearing red T-shirt, white shorts, white tennis shoes. She still has white wrist band ade over her right wrist. Mac and Jo are also sitting at that table, opposite to them. Forensic briefcase is lying on that same table, close to Jo.

"You are playing with injured hand, Gina?", Mac asks.

"Yes. It's... it'ts not a big injury. My coach said me that will help me to get back in the game more easily."

"You can forget about that", Jo says. "We know that you killed Malcolm Lake."

Gina widenes her eyes and glares at them in disbelief.

"What? I already said you that I didn't do that!"

"Remove the band ade, Gina", Mac says.

"What?"

"Remove it!"

Gina takes the deep breath and slowly removes the band ade. Both Mac and Jo notice bruises that seem to be caused by fingernails. Jo takes cellphone from right pocket of her pants and photographs them, then e-mails photograph to Sheldon. Mac takes piece of paper from right pocket of his pants and puts it on the table, in front of Gina.

"We have a warrant to photograph you, take your fingerprint samples, DNA sample, and your shoes and your jewerly."

Jo opens forensic briefcase, takes pair of white latex gloves from it, puts them on, then takes swab and small plastic container from it. She stands up and walks toward Gina.

"Open your mouth", she says. Gina does so. Jo swabs inside of her mouths, puts swab in plastic container and puts it in her briefcase. She takes white sterile gauze from briefcase.

"Show me your hands", she says. Gina does so. Jo swabs both sides of her palms and face, takes evidence bag from briefcase, puts gauze in it, seals the bag, and puts it back in briefcase. Then she takes fingerprint chart and some ink from briefcase, puts those idoms on table in front of Gina, and fingerprints her. Mac tooks Iphone from right pocket of his pants and photographs Gina, then puts it back. Afterwards, he also puts pair of white latex gloves over his hands. Gina removes her sneakers, watch and bracelet and puts them on the table. Mac stores those idoms in three separate evidence bags, then puts them in forensic brief case. Jo takes pair of red woolen slippers from it and puts them on the table, in front of Gina. Gina takes them and puts them on instead of sneakers.

#

George Gonzales is sitting at the table in other interrogation room. Don and Jamie are also sitting at that table, opposite to him.

"Fibers from your coat match to fibers found under Cheryl Davenport's fingernails and to fibers found on note used to rule her in basement where she was killed", Jamie informs him. "Fiber samples tooken from your wipe match to fibers found on beer bottle used to bludgeon John Gray to death. Your shoes also match to latent shoe prints found in his apartment. And handwriting analysis of your signature on your drivers licence confirm that you are right handed. Man who killed both John and Cheryl is right handed. Also, papers and ink from one pen which we found in your office match to note used to rule Cheryl in basement."

"You wiped fingerprints, washed your clothes in bleach and wore a disguise, but still, it wasn't enough."

"Johnny was shanked in prison week ago. He is still recovering. After that happened, John and Cheryl decided to confess that they killed Pete Monk. Jon went in your office and confessed that. He wanted you to know first. You asked him not to go to police in day or two, so you could prepare yourself. Three days ago, you went in his apartment and tried to pay him not to confess. He refused and things turned ugly."

_John's apartment. George and John are siting at John's kitchen table. Beer bottle is on the table next to John. Money is on the table._

_"I'm done with you", John says, frustrated. "Lead yourself out", he says, stands up and walks toward living room, turning his back to George. George takes beer bottle and bludgeons John. John screams and colapses face down on the floor. George bludgeones him again, killing him. He drops beer bottle on the floor, searches John's pockets, founds wallet, tooks money and credzit cards from it, and also tooks John's watch and rings. He stores that idoms in left pocket of his coat. Then he picks up his money from the table and puts it back in right pocket of his pants, then he takes wipe from right pocket of his coat and scrubs down beer bottle and wallet. He leaves, closing the doors behind, with wipe over his hand, wipes doorbell clean with that same wipe, puts it back in right pocket of his coat, and runs down the stairs._

"Then you needed to kill Cheryl before she founds out about John's murder and confesses her part in Pete's murder. You visited strip bar, ruled her in basement and killed her."

_George walks_ _in strip bar. He sits at the counter and orders glass of whiskey. While waither is pouring it, he picks up ice pick from the counter and hides it in his coat. When waither finishes, George takes glass of whiskey and pays in cash. He drinks it, leaves glass on the counter and sits on the chair in front of the stand where Cheryl Davenport is dancing. He takes few bills and note from right pocket of his coat, puts note between the bills, leans forward and puts bills in Cheryl's panties. Then he walks toward the basement and sneaks in it. _

_Later, during pause, behind the stage, Cheryl takes money out her panties and starts counting it. She sees the note, smiles, puts money back in her panties, sneaks toward basement and sneaks in it, closing the doors behind. While walking downstairs, she drops the note and it falls on the floor. _

_George is hiding behind the closet near front doors. When Cheryl comes close enough, he tooks ice pick, jumps in front of her, slits her vocal cords with ice pick, and stabbes her ten times in the chest. After fifth stabbing wound __she fell on the floor (managing to nail his coat before she did), so he lay on his knees next to her and stabbed her five more times. Realizing that she is dead, he wipes ice pick handle with his coat sleeve and drops ice pick on the floor. Then he takes his money, disturbing her panties, and puts it in right pocket of his coat. He sneaks out, closing the doors behind. Before he does so, he wipes both door knobs with his coat sleeve._

"I won't say anything", George says. "I won't spend a day in jail. I have excellent court skills."

"And you'll need them", Jamie agrees.

#

Sid photographs fingernails on both of Malcolm Lake's hands, scans them in computer, and e-mails photographs to Sheldon.

#

Sheldon is siting at desk in his office, wearing white lab coat and white latex gloves. He receives e-mail. He opens it and notices photographs of Malcolm Lake's fingernails. He compares them with photograph of bruises on Gina's wrist. Comparison shows that bruises on Gina's wrist match to all fingernails on Malcolm's fingers on his right hand.

#

Lindsay is sitting at desk in her office, wearing white lab coat and white latex gloves. She takes shoes out of the evidence bag, photographs it's bottoms with polaroid and scans photographs in computer. She compares them with shoe prints left by tennis shoes number eight found in park. Shoe prints found in park perfectly match to Gina's shoes. Then she takes fingerprint chart, scans Gina's fingerprints in computer and compares them with fingerprints found on hedge around playground. Computer soonly founds the match.

#

Danny is searching eria around drug store near playground. He is wearing white latex gloves, white plastic shoe covers and has his forensic briefcase with him. He notices receive and wrist band ade wrapper in bushes. He puts forensic briefcase on the floor, opens it, takes two forensic tags and marks those idoms, photographs them, picks them up, puts them in two seperate evidence bags, seals them, puts them back in his forensic briefcase, and puts forensic tags back in it too.

#

Adam is sitting at table in his office, wearing white lab coat and white latex gloves. Gina's watch, bracelet and swabs tooken from her hands and face are on the table. Adam tooks parafrine bottle from it and drips some of it on those two swabs. Nothing happens. Then he takes two new gauzes from his brief case, swabs her watch and bracelet with it and puts them on the table. He drips some parafrine on both of them. Soonly, they both turn purple. GSR test is positive.

#

Back in the interrogation room. Gina is still sitting at the table, and Mac and Jo are sitting at the table, opposite to her. Forensic briefcase, now closed, is still on the table, and so are the papers and reports showing forensic results.

"Our forensics linked seven fingerprints found on doors on hedge of playground where Malcolm Lake was killed with you", Mac says. "We found them on both door knobs on that door. And you probably didn't know that fingernails can be as distinctive as fingerprints, didn't you? But they are. Fingernails on fingers on Malcolm's right hand, his injured hand, perfectly match to bruises on your right wrist. Your injured wrist."

"One of shoe prints found in park, leading towards sand boy, where Malcolm was killed, and back, perfectly match to your tennis shoes", Jo informs her. "Of course, after three days, no gunshot residue remained on your hands and face. But jewerly... that's completely other thing. We found traces of gunshot residue on both your watch and bracelet. That means that you either fired the gun or were very close to gun when it fired. Based on other evidences, we think that first theory is more likely."

"Our forensic team also searched the eria around drug store half mile away from the playground. They found receive in bushes, which prooves that somebody purchusaed wrist band ade there, on day of Malcolm Lake's murder, at 4:10 pm. On that same spot, they found empty wrist band ade wrapper. They found two types of usable fingerprints on those idoms: one belongs to clerk who works there. Other belongs to you. There are no security camera there or near by, but when we showed clerk your photograph, he identifeid you as girl who purchusaed wrist band ade that day at 4 pm and paid in cash. He remembered you because you looked nervous and accidently dropped money on the floor. He is sure he can identifei you in line up, too."

They both stop talking and look at Gina. She is breathing heavily, avoiding eye contact with them.

"What happened?", Jo asks her, softly.

Gina tooks a deep breath, raises her head and starts talking.

"I know he is... he was a sex offender. And that he lives near by. Close to that playground. Almost all younger children regulary visit that playground! So, following Melany's disappearance, I started visiting that playground every day for last week, after school, to make sure he won't be there, that he won't prey on children. But that day... he was there."

_Gina is sitting on the bench in playground, in front of the sand box. She is wearing white T-shirt, short blue skirt and her white tennis shoes. Her backpack is on the bench near by. Malcolm starts walking toward sand box. He is wearing white shirt, black pants, black belt and black shoes. While he is walking, some sand from the air remains in his nose._

_ Gina quickly stands up and takes gun, hidden in her backpack. When Malcolm walks towards her, she raises the gun on him. Malcolm stops and widenes his eyes in shock._

_"What are you doing here, pervert?", she asks him, angrily._

_Malcolm raises his hands and slowly steps few steps away._

_"Look", he says. "It's not how it seems."_

_"Don't try to fool me! I know who you are! Where... is... Melany?!"_

_"I don't know... Look... Let me explain...", Malcolm starts, then quickly jumps closer to her and grabs the gun. They struggle over the gun. Gina manages to press gun against left side of Malcolm's chest and press the trigger. Gun fires. Shell casing flies over the fence and falls on the ground. Malcolm stops resisting and falls on the ground, dead, blood dripping from bloody gunshot wound on left side of his chest on the sand. Traces of sand remain in his hair._

_Gina drops the gun on the floor and silently screams, due to her wrist injury. She manages to pick up the gun and throw it over the fence. It lands in pool of dirty water on the ground behind the fence. She runs away, closing the door behind._

"Look, Gina", Mac starts. "You will probably be trailed as an adult. We know some people... This crime can be ruled as second degree murder, maybe even first degree manslaughter. You may get out the prison alive and have family. Life. But you need to do two things."

"Sure", Gina says. "What things?"

"I believe we both know what's the first thing", Mac says. "And second thing is... who gave you the gun."

_Gina is talking with janitor Neil Johnston in his janitor's closet, while they are siting on his blue couch. She is wearing white T-shirt, red jeans and white sandals. Her blue backpack is lying on the floor near the couch. Neil is wearing his janitor's uniform, brown working boots and yellow rubber gloves._

_"I'm telling you, be carefull", Neil says. "I did time with her. He told me what he did to that girl and how he would like to do that again. Do you really think he was only helping Melany to change a flat tyre? And that playground is only few miles away from his house!"_

_"Police can't catch him, how can I help?"_

_"Well... I guess you could at least visit that playground once in a while. Pay attention..."_

_"What... what if he... attacs me? Or some child? And there is nobody else there?"_

_"Then, you better have this", Neil says, opens one the drawer near by, takes gun from it and handles it to Gina. She is staring at it for few seconds, disturbed and unsure what to do, but eventualy she grabs it. Before she can took it, Neil grabs it too and looks her in the eyes._

_"Look", he says. "If there is no other choice than shooting... make sure you kill him... OK?"_

_Gina nods. Neil lets go the gun. Gina opens her backpack, puts gun in it, then zips backpack again completely._

#

Neil is sitting at the table in other interogation room. Mac and Jo are also sitting at that table, opposite to him.

"What?", he smirks. "Look, this girl is lying. Why would I do that?"

"You and Malcolm did time in same prison", Jo explains. "At some point, while braging or in some moment of weakness or as part of a bragging that went too far, you told him your secret."

"What secret?"

"That you killed your ex-girlfriend, Mellisa Morales", Mac says. "You simply couldn't stand her being with anyone else but you, couldn't stand her daring to break up with you. So you killed her."

_Neil walks toward Melissa's backyard, wearing black jacket, blue jeans, and brown woolen sleepers instead of shoes. He also wears grey working gloves over his hands and holds black crowbar in his hand. He walks toward back window, looks around, and uses crowbar to breake in through the window. He sneaks in, puts crowbar on the floor and sneaks in living room. Melissa is sitting on couch in living room, watching TV. She is young Hispanic woman, about 5'10 tall, average weight, with long curly black hair and black eyes. She is wearing white T-shirt, red shorts and blue woolen slippers._

_"Neil?", she screams._

_He tooks the gun from right pocket of his jeans and prints it at her._

_"You should never leave me, Melissa."_

_"Neil, please..."_

_He pulls the trigger and shoots her in the heart._

"Malcolm never said anything. You probably threatend him and his family. But week ago you visited local police station. You were interogated as burgulary suspect. You were probably waiting in hallway when you heard some police officers talking."

"You figured that he is involved, because he is sex offender and he was seen with the victim", Mac continues. "You figured that, if they arrest him, he could rat you out in exchange for lighter sentence."

"So you made up your plan. You are janitor, always in the school, hallways... you hear things. You figured you can manipulate with Gina due to situation with her sister and her upcoming trial. So she became your patsy. You gave her the gun-the same one you used to kill your ex-girlfriend nine years ago."

"You figured he will eventualy come to prey on kids in playground and that Gina will shoot him. But week passed without any incidents. So you decided to took matter in your own hands. You followed him and managed to found out his cellphone number. That day, after work, you called him on his cell from phone booth near playground and arranged the meeting there after work. You probably offered to sell him computer. His wife mentioned he was looking for new one. And Gina simply did the rest."

"But you did all that for nothing, because we found out he had nothing to do with Melany's dissapearance."

Neil smirks.

"You have nothing against me."

"We have Gina's statement", Jo says. "And police records that proove you were in police station ten days ago."

"That little bitch would do anything to save her own ass. And there were bunch of people in that police station that day. I won't tell anything starting from this very moment. I want my lawyer. I'll be out here in couple of hours."

"Don't get your hopes us. We will re-open Melissa's case. We will nail you."

"Really?", Neil smirks. "Good luck with that."

#

All team members are sitting around big round table in Mac's office, only Mac and Jo are standing near big white plastic blackboard in front of the table. All sorte of photograhs and papers conected with Melissa Morale's and Malcolm Lake's case. Mac and Jo hold papers in their hands. Mac starts reading:

"20th July 2004. Pine street 1. At 11 pm, neighbours heard the gunshot and called the police. Police officers broke in and found Melissa lying on the living room floor, dead from gunshot wound in her heart."

"There was no signs of sexual assault, but she was found completely naked", Jo continues. "Her clothes was found on wash in bleach in washing machine in her bathroom. By the day police got there, all possible forensic evidences were destroyed."

"There was plenty of fingerprints found", Lindsay reads. "Twenty fingerprints and five palm prints on TV, fifteen fingerprints on DVD, thirty five fingerprints, two palm prints and five partial palm prints in total on both living room windows and their frames and knobs. Twenty fingerprints, three palm prints and two partial palm prints on coffee table, ten fingerprints and two partial palm prints on back window..."

"But they all matched to victim", Danny reads. "Lets see... killer came in through the back window... signs of force intury... partial glove print that matched to working gloves found in his laundry basket."

"But there was no any distinctive thread marks", Sheldon reads. "There were almost milion gloves of the same brand and size on market in New York city, over twenty thousand in closer eria. And since gloves were washed in bleach, no forensic evidences survived. "

"Latent shoe print found on living room floor near the couch. It matched to one of victim's shoes found in closet in her bedroom", Jo reads. "Bootprint was found in the ground outside under the back window. It matched to one of victim's boots, found in her basement. Partial impretions found in the ground under back window, too unclear for any analysis or to be usable for determination of height and weight."

"He had brown woolen sleepers in laundry basket", Adam notices. "Of course, since impretions were so unclear and sleepers were washed in bleach, nobody could link them with crime scene."

"Tool mark found on back window", Lindsay reads. "It matched to crowbar found in Neil's basement. It also matched to injury on Danny Gacy's skull. Unfortunately, in both cases tool mark was not so distinctive that all crutial details could be seen. And crowbar was cleaned in acide, so no forensic evidences remained on it, except for one usable fingerprint, that matched to Neil anyway."

"Dirt leading from back window to her body, bathroom, and back", Mac says. "It matched to dirt from her yard."

"What about Malcolm's case?", Lindsay points out. "Can we proove that Gina was in Neil's janitor's closet, talking with him?"

"I already examined it", Adam says. "Guy vacumed the couch, wiped down doors and both knobs, scrubed down the floor with broom, wiped the drawers inside and out. He burned vacum cleaner's bag and towel in bucket, so badly that no forensic evidences survived. He probably planned to flush it down the toilet, before we arrested him."

"Maybe we need to think about where he kept the gun hidden while he was in jail", Jamie suggests.

"Police searched his car, house, yard... nothing", Mac says.

"But he still lives in same house, with same yard, and drives the same car", Jo says. "Nine years passed... but we can try to find something."

"I guess we can get a warrant", Mac says. "Bit if we don't found anything soon, we really need to let him go."

#

Adam, Mac, Jo, and Sheldon are searching Neil's house and yard. Dan and Lindsay are searching his car. They all wearing white latex gloves and white plastic shoe covers, and have their foensic briefcases with them.

Mac searches Neil's trash can in kitchen. He only founds few egg shells, chewing gum and few tishues.

Jo searches Neil's bathroom locker. She only founds some band ades and bathroom supplies.

Sheldon looks under mattress on Neil's bed, but he only founds some dust. He also looks under the bed, but he only founds more dust and old towel. Then he searches drawers of Neil's writing desk next to his bed. He only founds some notebooks, papers and writing supplies. Then he sits at Neil's writing desk and examines his laptop. He checks Neil's internet history. He only founds some food recepies, some porn, things about cleaning supplies and lots of computer games. Then he examines My Documents. He founds only one document, under title "How to get a better job."

He also searches Neil's closet, but he only founds clothes, shoes and underwear.

Mac and Jo are searching Neil's yard with metal detector. They only found few coins, few old, rusted nails and old, dirty, partialy rusted belt buckle.

In Neil's car, Danny opens a glove compartment and examines it's contetnt. He only founds a map, few working gloves, two comic books towel, screwdriver, package of wet wipes and old newspapers.

Lindsay is searching trunk of Neil's car. She only founds tyre iron, spare tyre, and hammer. She also examines it with UV light tooken from her briefcase, but founds nothing. After she puts flashlight back in briefcase, she closes the trunk and notices spare tyre on it. She remembers she already saw spare tyre in the trunk. She examines other spare tyre closely and notices that upper part of it is cuted and glued on again. She removes the glued part and sees that part of tyre is hollow inside. Inside, she notices something like dried traces of gun oil, so she tooks swab from her brief case and swabs it.

#

Again, Neil is sitting in interogation room at the table. Mac and Jo are sitting at the table, opposite to him, and Don is standing near by. Paper showing forensic report is on the table in front of Neil.

"One of our forensic techs noticed that you have two spare tyres", Mac says. "Part of one spare tyre was hollow. Inside, they found traces of both gun oil and gunshot residue, which perfectly matches to gun used to kill both Melissa Morales and Malcolm Lake."

"They also found impretion in car tyre", Jo informs him. "It's barely visible to a naked eye, but when examined under UV light, it's obvious that those are numbers. First four can be read clearly: 4678. Gun used to kill both Melissa Morales and Malcolm Lake has serial number **4678**005. That links you with gun used to kill both victims."

"You kept that hollow tyre. Probably in case that you will need to use it again in other criminal activities. Thanks for providing us an evidence."

Neil stays silent.

"Take him", Mac says. Don walks towards Neil and pulls him off the chair, handcuffs him and takes him away.

#

Mac is talking with Rebecca in her yard.

"What do you want from me?", she asks, irritated.

"I just want you to know that Malcolm was killed because of you. If there wasn't for your, he wouldn't be in jail, Neil wouldn't tell him about Melissa, and he wouldn't get killed."

"Don't try to make me feel guilty. Nothing will stop me."

"You think so. But you're going down."

Then Mac walks away.

#

Cheryl and Neil are handcuffed and lead in custody, while voice of news host is heard in the background.

_Two persons, sixteen year old Gina Stanworth and thirty seven years old Neil Johnston, are arrested for murder of registered sex offender Malcolm Lake..." _

Johnny Shaw is lying in his bed in hospital, wearing his white hospital's pajamas. His family is visiting him, telling him that he will be released.

Cassandra is awaiting her son in front of her prison. Guards lead him out, and they hug, while Mac watches aside, smiling.

Anabel Lake is lying on bed in master's bedroom, crying while looking at Malcolm's photograph, holding positive pregnancy test in her hands.

~THE END~

**A/N: Song playing in background of scenes where Sheldon, Adam and Lindsay are trying to found evidences to proove that Gina is guilty is "Empire state of mind" by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys (not the whole song, only Alicia Key's chords). Song playing in background of a scene where team is trying to found evidences linking Neil with murders is "Perfect day" by Constellations. Song playing in background of final scenes (last paragraph, after Mac talks with Rebecca) is "Running up the hill" by Placebo.**

**And we reached the end... Kinda sad, I know, but message wouldn't be so strong without such sad touch. But, there is some hope, right?**

**Hope You enjoyed this fic. Love Mislav :)**


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